Crossover for overhead trolley lines



` June 5, 1923.- 1,457,689 :I G.W. EOWER '7' CRQSSQVER Fn 'OVERHEAD TROLLEY LINES by" mm Patented June 5, 1923.

GEORGE w. Bowne, or scHn'NnornnY, Nnw YonK,AssIeNon" .'ro GENERAL ELECTRIC' COMPANY, aoonronnrronor Nrw Yong.' i i 1 onossovnn` ron o'vEnHEAn-rnonnnv. LINES.l

- Application inea octoiier 3o, leze, 1 seriaiNo. 597,753.

To all whom it may concer/n.;

Be it known that. I, Grenen l-WTBownR,l Va citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State a of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Crossovers l' or Overhead Trolley Lines, -o which the following `is a specification.

The present invention relates to electric' street railways and more-especially to-overhead trolley systems by means ofwhich elec-- tric power is supplied tothe. propelled vehicles.

t lnl present system utilizes a single overhead wire and a single current collector or trolley wheel and.r

discharges the -current to groundy through the car' wheels and track. .The double system. utilizes two independent overheadwires, one

to supply the'highv potential current to the carfand the other to receivethereturn cur{ rent, and a double currentcollector or trolley making contact with both ofthe wires. The single system is in most generaluse,wh1le the double system is used ,j whereV it is .mpractical to.' installi tracks in `the roadway and has become kknown as thev trackless trolley system, and is employed chiefly as anadjunct or `feeder to roads operating on. the

single system. v

The object of my invention is to provide guarded means for the points of crossing between double system trolley wires and two or more singlek systemrtrolley wires, whereby the respective current collectors may be en-v abled to pass without danger of becoming displaced or of short circuiting theelectricV conductors operating under dierent potentials. t

` One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1- is a side elevation of a crossover device for the intersection ofv a double trolley 46 system with two single trolley systems; Fig. 2 is an under side plan view; Fig. 3 is a per-` spective view thereof, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a double collector head for use in conjunction with the double trolley 50 system. f n

The single system wires l and 2 ar'eshown as usually suspended over the centers of the respective tracks of a double tracked street and their spacing apart is ordinarily about nine feet. The double system wires 3 and -wir es 1 and Q and are provided near their aol..

y j considerable distance back from ythe 'vertical day practice two` specieso 15 overhead systems-,are employed; The singlev planes of the single system vwires andQ and their ends connected tof/the opposite' ends ofan insulated bridge structure :5,- so that' in case a singlesystem trolley should escape from itsfwirev 1 .or 2, as it is about top cross the Vpath of the double system wires 3 and 4, it cannot by any chance come lincontact with any, part electrically chargedfbythelatter systemyl. l, The insulated bri-dgestructure 5- islouilt n up abouttwoparallel ,beamsf'offgas pipe 6 having ltheir ends secured to crossbars? and so S., t0 the/Outer ends of. whchjare attached, insulating kblocksl) having at. their ,outer ends metal clamping plates '10. to which'y the wires 3 and 4 are to be attached.' The beams 6 have threaded thereon metallic brackets 11 85 and struts 12 which support at their .lower ends the insulated track sections 13, 14 and 15.y The brackets 11 are in the form of an inverted U to straddle the' lsingle system upper ends with transversemortises through which extend bars lcarrying at their' ends ears 16 for supporting the single system wires well up from the plane of the tracks 13, 14 andr15. j

Thev trackless system employs' a current collector as shown in Fig. 4 comprising two metal shoes 18, 19 insulated from each other f by a vguide bracket 2() of insulating `matef rial. In order that such a collector may pass 10o uninterruptedly beneath the bridge structure 5 and without contacting with-the single system wires 1 and 2 as it crosses beneathv j them, inclined guard planes 21.are arranged inthe lpath of the bracket'QOv on each side 105 wires 1 and 2 by reason of the upper edge of the bracket 20 continuing in contact with the inclined plane 2l on the approaching Sidev of the transverse space until the S110@ part is entirely across it. These inclined planes 21 may be formed of insulating slabs attached to the lower ends ofthe brackets 1l and near the upper ends koi theadjacent struts l2 or end blocks e9 as shown in Figs. l and`r 2 or they may be made of stili' nettiii- '22 as s liown at the left of) Fig. 3.

' order to'condense the bridge structure as much asfthe conditions of use will permit, -the spacing of the tracks for the trackless trolley Ais made less than the spacing of the wires Sand 4. by bowing. them inwardly as fbest shown in. Fig. 2.

The vcontinuity of the conductors l and 2 over thebridge structure is accomplished by means of insulated cables 23, 24 connected to thefclamping plates 10 for the ends of the wiresY 3Y and 4 and carried by the insulating blocks 9. These Wires'23, 24 extend throughv thegb'ores otth'epipes Gand are thereby ete'ctujal/lyl housed from injury.

U'.Ifhe/I'iie'ans for supporting the structure consists ofhooks or eyes 25 niountedon the crossbafrsS and adaptedto connecty with the usual spanwires26.

fWli'ile I have shown and described the best'forin cfthe4 invention known to me,l I do, notd desire tobe restricted thereto.

` What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

' 1. Ina'crossover for trolley lines, the combination. of two beams havin@ wire clamping plates connected totlieir endjsl through insuwires in said passageways, and inclinedl guards adjacent said transverse passage ways. f

3. In a crossover for trolley lines, the combination of two beams having wire clamping plates connected to their ends through insulation, struts and U-shaped brackets depending from said beams, insulating track sections supported by said struts and said brackets, means for supporting crossingwires between the arms of said brackets, and inclined guards extending upwardly from the'y lowerl ends of said bracket' arms.

4. In a crossover for trolley lines, the com-` bination of a hollow beam having wire clamping devices connected to the opposite ends thereof, insulated track members entending between said wire clamping devices and suspended beneath said beam, and ian i insulated electrical conductor connecting said clamping devices and e said hollow beam.

intending through"V In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 1 my hand this 27th da of October, 1922.

GE BGE W; BOWER; 

